EPers- What led you to EP?
What led you to EP? What are some of the challenges and criticisms you face? How long do you think you're going to EP?
I started EPing because DD had a severe tongue tie. We got it corrected at 2 weeks. Why not latch with a shield you ask? Well we did that and it went from okay to horrible in a day. She would scream and cry and scream and cry and then nurse for 10 minutes and fall asleep. She would then wake up and do it all again. I couldn't take her falling asleep at the boob and not nursing only to wake up again and be hungry. Why not wake her up you ask? The child wouldnt. Shed startle and jump but not want to nurse. I couldn't do it anymore. I pump for my sanity. I really hate getting the "why dont you do formula?" from alot of people. I answer with "why don't you buy it for me?" Mommys that I've talked to who EBF look at me like I am insane when I say that I EP. I got told that I'm a trooper today lol
Re: EPers- What led you to EP?
I am in the midst of starting to EP because since we introduced the bottle, my son is basically weaning himself from BF!! It's like he has realized that it's easier to drink from a bottle than to nurse (with a shield). He screams in the middle of the night because he doesn't suck hard enough to get milk!! How lazy!! I'm worried about EP and how to keep increasing my supply as he needs to drink more. Any suggestions??
I EBF and think its awesome that you can EP and didn't switch to formula (not that there is anything wrong with formula). The fact that you figure out a system that works for you is great...
but...I know how much work it is for me to pump so I am envious that you are actually able to EP!
Curious as to what your typical "day" looks like with EP...
Typical day:
2am-DH feeds, I pump
7am repeat
9 or 10 DD gets bouncy chair time, I feed her and pump
Pretty much repeat that all day, every 2 1/2 or 3 hours. If I go anywhere when I think I'll be gone longer than 3 hours I pump in the car.
Yep, sounds like my DD. Just get/rent a good pump, and try to pump every time he eats or more.When you stop putting LO to the breast, youll be able to see what your output is. Drink lots of water, don't skip any meals and relax. DD naps for 4 or 5 hours a day. I pump twice then, and get ahead of what she needs. I'll be honest, I had to supplement when I first started. I take fenugreek and mothers milk tea. My DD is a chunky monkey, she eats almost 28 oz a day. I got to where now I can pump up tp 40oz/day. Just dont give up, and don't be afraid to supplement.
I started EPing for just about the exact same reason as the OP. Bad tongue tie, had it corrected on day 4, didnt improve and she started thrashing, screaming, etc when trying to BF. I gave up. I couldn't put her through the scream fest or handle it myself. I had come across a blog on EPers before I even gave birth- I am glad I did. It made the difference for me.
It sucks to EP, but, it whats best for my LO. Now that I have more of a routine down, its easier. I am giving myself a goal to reach 3 months, then 6, then 12 months. My pediatrician pretty much told me 'good luck with that' and told me shes only come across maybe 10-12 women who has Ep'd for a full year. I plan to prove her very, very wrong!
Oh and my 'day'...
pump times are 12am, 3 am, 6 am, 12pm, 3 pm, 6 pm, 9 pm. I occasionally pump a little early, or sneak an extra session in. As soon as I can, I'm dropping the 3 am pump. But, I need to make it to 8 weeks first!
I EP for a similar reason. My LO was tongue tied. We got it clipped around 3 weeks. Prior to getting it snipped it could take 10-20 tries for him to latch. My nipples were also incredibly sore and bruised. Anyway, even though getting his tongue snipped improved his latch, nursing still hurt. Apparently many tongue tied babies compensate by using their jaw since they can't use their tongue. He was still using his jaw which meant my nipples still hurt. I was just over it. I didn't care to work to loosen his jaw and teach him to use his tongue.
I'm so much happier EPing. I have a relatively high supply. I pump 4-5x's a day and get 45-50 ounces (sometimes more). I also like that my husband is able to help with more of the feedings. I go back to work in a few days. My plan is to make it to 6 months. If things are going well I might keep pumping, we'll see. Even though it's going well, I still take it a day at a time. I don't like to put too much pressure on myself.
It is cool that you have such a good schedule on pumping. I typically go every 2 1/2 to 3 hours, I don't have times down like that. Wish I did lol
My DD had difficult latching and I couldn't deal with the screaming, like others mentioned, I decided to EP for my sanity. I have been pumping for 2 months and I'm exhausted but can't see myself stopping.
Some people think I'm insane but what's a year of my life (I want to EP for a year). These past 2 days have been really hard and I can tell my supply is dropping and I'm freaking out. I already eat oatmeal every day and I started doing power pump sessions (tonight is my 2nd one). I hope my supply picks up again because I don't want to give her formula. Any suggestions?
Maybe go back to pumping every 2 hours if you are not already. I pump every 2 every few days or so. Pump 5 or 10 minutes longer when you pump every 2 hours. I also drink Mothers milk tea. Like make a pitcher of it and drink it all day kind of drinking lol. I havent tried oatmeal or power pumping.
I EP because one of my twins had latching issues that never really resolved. At first, I nursed the one that would latch (though it was quite the production with him too), then pumped and gave the other one a bottle. I wasn't able to keep up with the demand, so I was supplementing with formula. The repeat of this schedule every 2 hours or so was more than my body could handle and my supply was actually getting worse. Once I started EPing and stopped trying to nurse them my supply increased to the point that I could feed them both breastmilk exclusively.
I now am able to pump 60oz or so a day, which is just enough to feed them both.
My schedule now:
5:00am
9:30am
1:30pm
5:30pm
9:00pm
I pump because I had a preemie. He started feeds by mouth with a bottle (before that he was tube fed). Trying to BF in the NICU was rough.
My schedule (now) is 6am, 12pm, 6pm, and 10pm. When I first started pumping it was 8am, 10am, 12pm, 2pm, 4pm, 7pm, 11pm, 4am, 6am. It sucked ass.
We'll miss you sweet Debbie Girl (4.21.12) and sweet Cindy Girl (8.9.12)
I pump because I too have a preemie, and she actually aspirates while swallowing, so I have to thicken her milk and bottle-feed. She actually figured out how to latch and BF just fine in the NICU.
The only thing keeping me going is knowing that in a month she'll be tested for the aspiration again, and if she passes, then we can transition to breastfeeding (I let her latch on and BF for a minute or two every few days just to make sure she can do it). If I knew that she would never be able to BF, I don't know how long I could keep this up. If she doesn't pass and has to stay on bottles, I plan to go to six months.